Bulgaria marks Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is one of the biggest Bulgarian holidays. In Bulgarian it is called Tsvetnitsa (holiday of flowers and trees) or Vrabnitsa ( from vurba - willow tree).

It is held annually and always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday (on April 12 in 2020).

Being one of the most beautiful spring holidays it celebrates the day of the entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, when he was welcomed with palms and olive branches. Bulgarian Orthodox tradition uses more willow branches instead of palm ones, and people wind them into small crowns they put on the heads of the children for health and blessing.

On this day, the church holds services and blesses willow branches. They are given to the worshipers, and each of them carries a willow branch to their homes to bless it with health. As part of the tradition, people also decorate the front door of their homes with a willow branch and weave into a garland the blessed branches.

On Palm Sunday those named after flowers, plants or trees celebrate their name day.

This year, Bulgaria’s Orthodox churches and temples will be open for traditional Palm Sunday and Easter services despite the coronavirus epidemic, but will hold the services outside the churches. It will not distribute willow branches as it usually does on Palm Sunday.

The head of Bulgaria’s task force against the coronavirus, Major-General , Prof. Dr. Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, has issued a strong call to the country’s Orthodox Christian majority to not go to church services during the holidays this year.

Interior Minister Mladen Marinov said there will be enhanced police presence around churches to keep order and ensure social distancing.

Bulgaria has declared a state of emergency until May 13 and introduced a ban on groups of more than two adults congregating together.